WCF Function Continue after return

Question

i have a web application that connects to a windows service via WCF and calls a method. After the method has returned its result (and everything is successfull - see line **?? below) i want the service to continue and do some other work.

What is the easiest way to do this?

thanks Damo

C# Code

//Add Files To Control Manager
    public ReturnClass FilesToControl(List<Item> lstNewItems,string ReferenceNumber,string Type,String Description)
   {
       try
       {
           String ThisisAnItemToControl = "";
           String ThisIsItsType = "";

           for (int i = 0; i < lstNewItems.Count; i++) // Loop through List with for
           {
               ThisisAnItemToControl = lstNewItems[i].Paramater;
               ThisIsItsType = lstNewItems[i].Type;

               // Do a pre check on the item

               // Does File Exist

               if (!File.Exists(ThisisAnItemToControl))
                   return new ReturnClass(-1, ThisisAnItemToControl + " does not exist", String.Empty, null, null, null);  



           }

           return new ReturnClass(1, "", String.Empty, null, null, null);


           // Now that we have returned a result to the web application we can get to work and modify the items under control but how can i do this?

         //  **??


       }

       catch (Exception ex)
       {

           return new ReturnClass(-1, ex.Message.ToString(), "", null, null, null);

       }

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 28 '12 at 22:24

3

What I would do is place the extra work in another function. Then, just before you return from the WCF function, create a new thread for the extra work function and run it.

answered Nov 28 '12 at 22:24

System Down

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score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 28 '12 at 22:28

You could create a new thread as suggested, but if the work that you are doing will be long running, you would be most likely taking threads from the ASP.NET thread pool. This could lead to a degrade in throughput for the application.

So, I would probably have another process, perhaps a windows service, that your WCF application could call to carry out more work. This will decouple the concerns from dealing with the front-facing request, from the background work.

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 28 '12 at 22:29

1

Do the work in another thread or raise an event on the server side, caught by another class/method.

answered Nov 28 '12 at 22:29

Keysharpener

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score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 28 '12 at 22:31

1

Task.Factory.StartNew(() => DoWork());

But one problem you may run into is that you fire off the thread, then IIS kills your WCF service. This is of course assuming your running it in ISS.

answered Nov 28 '12 at 22:31

Science_Fiction

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When the WCF service call completes, yes that thread could be returned to the threadpool, but this wouldn't have any affect on the thread processing `DoWork()` – EkoostikMartin Nov 28 '12 at 22:41
1

I was thinking with IIS worker process recycling. IIS could then terminate the worker process and thread dies. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2675910/how-to-know-who-kills-my-threads – Science_Fiction Nov 28 '12 at 22:49

WCF Function Continue after return

4 Answers4